It's certainly not a murder charge as the the biker didn't intentionally or willfully kill the officer, nor could it be first degree manslaughter since the officer was ultimately in command of his own actions. The charge as stated seems reasonable to me, since the biker did create a dangerous situation for both himself and the deceased trooper.

I also greatly question the latest fad on police departments buying big trucks as patrol vehicles. I'm sure a few might be appropriate depending on the climate, but for a suburban police department in a moderate climate in which there are, at most, three snow days a year, trucks make no sense at all. They're thirsty, expensive to maintain, and have no agility at all. I believe the community that equipped the late officer with a useless hunk of iron as a police vehicle must share some part of the blame.
-------------------------------------------Bad decisions make good stories.

Should it be? No probably not. But I think they can get him on 2nd degree--no concern for human life. Even though the cop showed no concern for human life driving a Tahoe through a populated area at 100mph. Same standards sort of for reckless homicide.

The cop should have backed off. He should have known the limits of his vehicle.

I'm sorry, but I have to say that the cop is at fault for has own death. I'm not a fan of high speed chases and if the camera was on in the troopers SUV that he/she could've radio the bike in and meet the motorcyclist at his home, and took to court like they did after the fact!!! Cause it is obvious that the trooper never caught him. The motorcyclist should've been charged with wreckless driving.

Too me, the cop had no concern for human life. They should follow other states that back away from high speed chases and just let the chopper follow him around while they set up the trap.

It's too bad he died, but he probably should have been fired for chasing anyone, especialy a biker, in a SUV. The cop caused his own death in this case and I'm certain it will be ruled that way in the end. Next time, he should do like most cops do, dive in front of the biker, and start shooting. That way, he can "say" it was self defense.
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"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lois: "Peter! Don't scare the kids about a nuclear holocaust."

Peter: "Haha, you said nuclear, it's nucular you dummy, the s is silent."

I think the trooper is responsible for his own death, I am sorry to say. It is impossible to keep up with racing bike in an interceptor, the trooper should have known about the limitations of his vehicle. For those of you who want to charge the motorcyclist with some form of crime, think about it this way.

Would the police officer be charged with a crime if the chase resulted in the biker's death, after all, the death would have been the direct result of a high speed chase? I think not, even if the police officer caused the fatal accident.

On the flip side, had the officer been given proper equipment, he probably would not have piled it up. Giving a police officer what amounts to a delivery van as a law enforcement vehicle is the high end of stupid.
-------------------------------------------Bad decisions make good stories.

Well, if the perp's barrel was in front of the officer heading towards him, he could at least claimed self defense.

I find cops that use this tactic highly offensive. On the local news a couple was committing prescription fraud at a pharmacy. The employees at the pharmacy called the police. An under cover cop ran in front of the suspects as they were leaving the parking lot and fired at them, hitting the guy in the chest. The bullet exited on his side and struck his female companion. All this because of prescription fraud! I think cops should be given little clubs and pepper spray, guns are way too much for them to handle.
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"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lois: "Peter! Don't scare the kids about a nuclear holocaust."

Peter: "Haha, you said nuclear, it's nucular you dummy, the s is silent."

Police Chases in my opinion are a bad idea. Yes, the bad guys should be caught, but police officers don't have some magical driving talent that we don't have. Flying across suburban roads and neighborhoods puts other's lives in danger no matter who is behind the wheel. Even if the cop and suspect are driving Formula 1 cars, it still can't stop in time for when that little kid on a bike crosses in front of them.

Maybe instead of chasing, police departments should work together to set up massive roadblocks closing in the radius of where the suspect is to catch them.

My two cents. The officer chasing the criminal was driving a vehicle not designed for pursuits. There should have been a point when he called off the pursuit in the name of safety, the suspect and his own. I also wonder what were the conditions around the original offense that started the chase. From personal experience, if I see red and blue flashing in my mirrors I pull over. If it's me, I'm stupid, PERIOD!!!! If not, they go by. It seems that anymore if you get lit up, the only choce you make is run, and it does not matter what happens when you do because if you get the right lawyer, you don't have to pay.
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